Most of us try to provide our bodies with proper nutrition for good health, but have you considered that it’s also important to nourish your brain? We’ll discuss how proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness, and we’ll recommend the best source of nourishing ingredients for you.
Your brain is hungry. If that sounds weird, consider this: Your brain accounts for about 2% of your body mass but burns 20% of your energy – ten times the number of calories and oxygen you would expect. This is because your brain is busy; it’s at work 24/7 processing information, storing memories, keeping your heart pumping, keeping you breathing, and overseeing all of your bodily functions while steadily repairing damaged brain cells and creating neural networks that enable you to think, learn, create, imagine, and be fully conscious.
All this work requires fuel – lots of it. Your brain needs more than the usual carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that we assume satisfy its metabolic needs. Your brain depends on a steady flow of glucose for energy, proteins for cellular and neural repairs, and fatty acids to construct your brain. As such, proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness. New medical research has discovered the importance of highly specialized nutrients your brain needs to perform optimally. This article will identify these nutrients and show how they may improve a person’s mental alertness by promoting neurogenesis and neuroplasticity – the formation of new neurons and neural networks.
Proper Nutrition Improves a Person’s Mental Alertness: 5 Great Ingredients for Optimal Brain Health is an original (OptimalPerformanceLiving) article.
Proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness
No single nutrient can improve brain function, keep you mentally sharp, or prevent cognitive decline. “Nutritionists emphasize that the most important strategy is to follow a healthy dietary pattern that includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains,” according to Harvard Health Publishing. “Get protein from plant sources and fish and choose healthy fats, such as olive oil or canola, rather than saturated fats.”
However, many of us do not get all the essential nutrients from our diet, which has led to the emergence of nootropics or brain health supplements. Since proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness, it’s crucial to understand which nutrients are needed when considering if a brain supplement is right for you.
“There are more than 25,000 bioactive substances in food, which work together to protect your body, including your brain, and processes that affect your brain; taking just one or two of those vitamins or chemicals isn’t going to be a cure-all,” says Cleveland Clinic dietitian Maxine Smith.
“For some, however, taking certain supplements may be the best way to get nutrients you may be lacking through diet,” adds nutritionist Anne Harguth of the Mayo Clinic.
Proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness:
The nutrients your brain needs for peak performance
Nootropics can be simplified as ‘brain boosters.’ Nootropics are known to improve cognitive function, mood, attention, memory, creativity, or motivation. Some essential brain health nootropics are:
- Amino acids – the building blocks of protein; in the brain, they form the neurotransmitters that communicate information between neurons to influence memory, learning, mood, attention, focus, and sleep.
There are 20 amino acids, nine of which are called essential because they cannot be produced in our bodies and need to be sourced from diet or supplements. Two essential amino acids – phenylalanine and tryptophan – and the peptide creatine are associated with brain health and functions, including cognition, memory, and alertness.
- Omega-3s – the healthy fatty acids important for several body functions. “Every cell in your body needs omega-3s, especially the eyes and brain,” notes Cleveland Clinic registered dietician Anna Taylor, further confirming that proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness. These are the two most important omega-3s:
- ALA (αlpha-linolenic acid), which is essential for aerobic metabolism and an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals.
- DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency authorizes this claim: “DHA, an omega−3 fatty acid, supports the normal physical development of the brain.”
- MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) – a rapidly-absorbed source of immediate and stored energy that benefits brain function.
- Vitamins and Minerals – vitamin C has been shown to tame brain-damaging inflammation. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant in the body, protecting cells from oxidative stress. Magnesium supports mood and helps regulate neurotransmission, relaying signals between your brain and body.
- Resveratrol – which is a plant-derived polyphenolic found in the skin of grapes. Resveratrol is under study for potential effects on cognition; one review reported that supplementation improved recognition and mood.
An ideal source of nourishing ingredients for your brain
Given that proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness, we reviewed the formulations of a number of nootropic supplements. Finally, we found one that checks all the boxes in providing the above nootropics optimal performance nutrients. It’s GAMMA BrainLuxury™, with this exclusive formulation:
- Omega-3s and other highly beneficial fatty acids: ALA, DHA, and EPA from algae oil, flaxseed oil, and MCT oil from coconuts to support neuroplasticity, learning, and memory.
- Amino acids creatine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan for a boost of energy and enhance creativity and focus.
- Antioxidants alpha-lipoic acid and trans-resveratrol to neutralize free radicals.
- Vitamins C, D, and E, and the mineral magnesium for detoxification and protection.
BrainLuxury, the laboratory that developed GAMMA, assures us that it’s 100% safe, with no added sugar, gluten, animal products, or preservatives.
The individual component ingredients in GAMMA’s unique formulation for enhancing brain health, alertness, intelligence, creativity, and other qualities have been tested and validated in qualified placebo-controlled, double-blind studies. It follows that these studies confirm that proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness. Moreover, BrainLuxury’s GAMMA formulation is described as an ideal daytime complement to the company’s DELTA sleep support.
Taking good care of yourself
As we review the medical and scientific reports, a recurring theme prevails: proper nutrition improves a person’s mental alertness. It increases the ability to focus, concentrate, and think clearly and creatively. Fortunately, it now appears that complete, optimal brain nutrition may be achieved with the addition of supportive nutritional supplements.
Further Reading For Additional Knowledge:
National Library of Medicine: Nootropics as Cognitive Enhancers: Types, Dosage and Side Effects of Smart Drugs
Medical News Today: 12 foods to boost brain function
Science Direct: Nootropic
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
